1941 Chevy Coupe - Merlin’s Magic

There probably isn’t a hot rodder alive who hasn’t had to sell something he really liked in order to move to the next level. For David Merlin, a sergeant in Nashville, Tennessee’s police department, the need to sell his just-finished ’47 Chevy coupe wasn’t because he was trying to buy another car, it was because he was trying to start a family with his wife, Tressa.

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In December 1998, the Merlins welcomed their son, Noah, into the world and when David went to the gift shop to purchase bubble gum cigars to hand out, the price rung up on the register came to $19.47a certain sign as far as David was concerned that he would eventually get another hot rod.

3/6That’s 3-year-old Noah Merlin enjoying the view from behind the driver’s wheel of the newly acquired Chevy coupe his father, David, bought in 2002. The pair worked on the car together and Noah, now 12, is looking forward to cruising the nation’s highways soon.

Though it took a few years, on New Year’s Day in 2002, David tracked down a stock ’41 Chevy in nearby Gallatin, Tennessee, and soon had the car home and in his driveway. Noah enjoyed climbing into the car and acting like he was driving, and even claimed it was his car, so David decided it would make a good father-son project when Noah got a little older. But since the ’47 he had built and sold was a high-quality, show-type vehicle, David already knew he didn’t want to go that route again with the new car. By opting to build more of a driver, David figured it would be used more and the family could do more and go more places together.

By the time Noah was 5 he and his dad started working on the car, which was a typical from-the-ground-up build, starting with components from Chassis Engineering for the rear suspension and an IFS system from Fatman Fabrications.

4/6A Chevy crate 350 engine is mated to a TH350 transmission, and is topped with single Edelbrock carb and intake manifold. Spark runs through Taylor wires and exhaust exits Corvette-type Rams Horn headers and out Flowmaster mufflers. Additional goodies include a Walker radiator and a 100-amp alternator. Adding the red skull graphics above the firewall was Noah’s request.

Steel 15x7 wheels from a Chevy wagon were set in place, as was a 350-crate engine. The V-8 is basically stock, but equipped with an Edelbrock manifold and single carb. Rivergate Muffler in Madison, Tennessee, added Flowmaster mufflers to the exhaust system that starts with a set of Rams Horn headers, and the TH350 trans is augmented with a shift-improving kit, while the driveshaft is a custom unit from Dave’s Drive Shaft in Nashville.

The exterior of the Chevy was left alone (all side trim is still in place) but David did go with smooth running boards before doing the bodywork on the car himself. The color he chose was as simple as the car itself: a basic black from Dupont. David and Rick Harris painted the car, and Harris soon followed up with a pinstripe. The skull graphics on the firewall (authorized by young Noah) is courtesy of his father.

Inside the Bow Tie David reworked the dash so the Vintage Air A/C system could run through custom vents (even converting the ashtray over to a vent in the process) and he added Dolphin Instruments gauges to a billet aluminum panel. The car’s clock, which is stock, is permanently set at 12:52 the exact time Noah was born. L.A. Custom Interiors (Mount Juliet, Tennessee) did the upholstery for David and they used a red pleather material over the stock split-back bench seat as well as the custom door panels.

5/6The dash was reworked by David (including converting the ashtray over to an A/C vent) and was highlighted with stock accents. The Dolphin gauges (with a stock clock) are set into a billet aluminum panel, and a Lecarra steering wheel is used in conjunction with a ‘79 GM column. The all-red pleather interior that covers Shield Foil insulation and the stock split-back bench seating was stitched by L.A. Custom Interiors. Vintage Air supplies the interior’s climate while a Sony stereo and speakers delivers the tunes.

A black car with a red interior (and red steelies) is one of the best color combinations for a hot rod, and David’s Chevy turned out great. The Merlin family is already getting a lot of use out of the car and, now that Noah is 12 years old, he’s looking forward to the day when he’ll be cruising down Route 66 on a planned summer trip with his father. It’s a safe bet the car will stay in the Merlin family for many years and, judging by its outcome, it will no doubt serve as an inspiration to other father-son teams out there waiting for the right time to build their own projects.

Though the side trim was left intact on the coupe, the running boards were smoothed out. David did his own bodywork and partnered with Rick Harris to paint the car with black Dupont paint. Harris came back to the do the subtle pinstriping found on the car. The 15x7 wheels came from a ’77 Chevy wagon, and were dressed up with rings and baby Moon hubcaps along with 205/60-15 Fuzion HRI front tires and 235/70R-15 BFGoodrich rubber out back.

6/6The dash was reworked by David (including converting the ashtray over to an A/C vent) and was highlighted with stock accents. The Dolphin gauges (with a stock clock) are set into a billet aluminum panel, and a Lecarra steering wheel is used in conjunction with a ‘79 GM column. The all-red pleather interior that covers Shield Foil insulation and the stock split-back bench seating was stitched by L.A. Custom Interiors. Vintage Air supplies the interior’s climate while a Sony stereo and speakers delivers the tunes.